Have not compromised on ideology, need power to serve people: Ajit Pawar
Satara, Apr 19 (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said he has not compromised on ideology but asserted that one needs representation in power to serve people.
He was addressing a gathering in which Uday Undalkar, son of late Congress leader Vilaskaka Undalkar, joined the ruling Nationalist Congress Party.
"I haven't given up my ideology. To get development works done, one needs to have representation in power," Pawar said.
"In the next five years, we (government) plan to bring Rs 40 lakh crore investment in the state and generate employment for 50 lakh people. A total of 31 per cent of all foreign investment has come into Maharashtra," he said.
Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make India a developed nation by 2047, the deputy CM said the Maharashtra government is committed to work for farmers and women.
The state government's flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which women with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh get Rs 1500 as monthly aid, will continue, Pawar reiterated.
He also said civic polls have not been held in the past three years, adding that the endeavour should to be to ensure maximum number of NCP corporators are elected.
Civic polls in several cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, are due since early 2022.
Pawar split the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP in July 2023 and joined the then Eknath Shinde government.
In the 2024 assembly elections, NCP bagged 41 of the 57 seats it contested in alliance with BJP and Shiv Sena.
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Air Chief Marshal AP Singh meets PM Modi
New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is understood to have discussed the security situation arising out of the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
The meeting came less than 24 hours after Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
The Air chief held a meeting with PM Modi, sources said without giving further details. There is no official word on the Modi-Singh meeting yet.
Citing "cross-border linkages" to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, Prime Minister Modi on last Tuesday gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
A day after the attack, India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties.
In response, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries.
In fresh punitive measures, India imposed a complete ban on imports of all goods from Pakistan with immediate effect on the grounds of national security and public policy.
New Delhi also suspended all postal services from Pakistan and banned entry of Pakistani-flagged ships at Indian ports.
